1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved storage and maintenance facility for vehicles and more particularly to a hangar facility in which aircraft are stored or maintained. The hangar facility of the present invention includes a first or front section in which the fuselage and wing portions of an aircraft are located and a second section in which the tail section of the craft is normally positioned when an aircraft is stored or maintained in the hangar. The second section has a roof or ceiling which is of a height greater than the height of the roof of the first section. The roof section of the frist hangar section has a movable portion which overlies an open area in the roof through which the tail section of an aircraft can pass as a plane is moved through the front section of the hangar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aircraft, and particularly those which are used commercially for the transporting of passengers and cargo, are routinely withdrawn from service for maintenance and other service. Often these craft are positioned in large hangar areas where the servicing of the aircraft is undertaken.
Hangar facilities are designed in some instances so that the major portion of the roof of the hangar facility is of a height greater than the height of the tail of the aircraft to be stored or maintained. Accordingly, as the size of the aircraft has increased over the years, the size of hangar structures has also increased. The height and other dimensions of hangar facilities have become greater thereby causing a significant increase in the construction costs of a hangar.
In another hangar design, the hangar comprises a section in which the fuselage and wing of the craft are positioned. It also includes a second section in which the tail section of the aircraft is normally located for storage and maintenance purposes. The height of the second section is greater than the height of the tail of the aircraft to be positioned in that section and is greater in height than the height of the hangar section in which the fuselage and wing portions are located. This hangar design has not been completely satisfactory. It has been found that when this hangar is used to service aircraft the aircraft to be serviced must be moved into the hangar so that the nose end of the craft will first enter the hangar tail section. The aircraft then continues moving into the hangar until the fuselage and wing portions of the plane are disposed in the fuselage section of the hangar while the tail section of the aircraft is positioned in the tail section of the hangar.
Once the aircraft is positioned in the hangar, maintenance docks or stations are erected about various portions of the aircraft to provide an appropriate work area for mechanics and other personnel who service the aircraft. The maintenance docks are often quite large and require a considerable amount of time to erect. After the maintenance work has been completed, the aircraft is then removed from the hangar.
The plane is withdrawn from this hangar structure with the tail of the plane exiting first and the wing and fuselage portions being withdrawn last. Unfortunately, with this type of arrangement the maintenance docks or stations must be substantially disassembled or removed in order that the plane can be pulled from the hangar without damage. It can be appreciated that the time and labor associated with erecting and disassembling maintenance docks, which often involve massive riggings and scaffolding, is quite costly.
What is desired is a hangar facility which can accommodate different size aircraft in a relatively small area. Specifically, it is desired to eliminate the problems associated with hangar facilities in which the ceilings of the hangar are too high.
It is also desired to have a hangar facility which will not require the disassembly or withdrawal of all the maintenance dock stations following servicing of the aircraft before the aircraft can be removed from the hangar. It is desired that the maintenance stations be left substantially in place. This is desired particularly with the maintenance docks located at the tail section of the aircraft.